Pacific Beat: Friday

PNG's health minister assures the public the country's polio outbreak isn't a threat but he is driving home the importance of vaccinations for children, as elsewhere in Pacific there's concern that the recent deaths of 2 babies in Samoa will drive down the region's immunisation rates.

What will the high-speed undersea internet cable, that's being mostly funded by the Australian government, actually mean for PNG and Solomon Islands? Insiders say it won't just bring economic benefits.

With speculation Prime Minister Rick Hou is planning a ministerial reshuffle, could Solomon Islands get its second female minister?

Calls for political reform are growing louder in certain parts of the Cook Islands.

Australians have spent NAIDOC week celebrating the culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, but it's also important to Australia's South Sea Island community.

And, unless there's a sensational turn of events, Manu Samoa will secure their place at the 2019 Rugby World Cup at last, when they take on Germany this weekend.